Sir George Rose Sartorius was a British admiral, known for commanding naval forces in the service of D. Pedro IV during the Liberal Wars.
Coming from a family with a strong military tradition, Sartorius participated in the great naval Battle of Trafalgar at only 16 years old and had James Weddell, the future Antarctic explorer, in the crew of his ship, the Avon.
Later, at a period when his military career had stalled after the Napoleonic Wars, he was hired by the Portuguese liberal faction to command D. Pedro IV’s limited naval forces against the navy of D. Miguel. In this role, he led the squadron that transported from the Azores “the 7,500 Braves of Mindelo,” the men who carried out the “Landing at Mindelo.” This act led to his dismissal from the British Royal Navy, as he was deemed a mercenary serving a foreign force, though he was reinstated in 1836.
He subsequently received the titles of Viscount of Piedade (by decree on December 1, 1836), Viscount of Mindelo (by decree on July 8, 1845), and Count of Penha Firme (by decree on August 19, 1853), all granted by D. Maria II.
This painting is part of the long-term exhibition at the Museum of Angra do Heroísmo, “From the Sea and the Land… A History in the Atlantic”.
